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The story goes that an American once sent a message to NASA: “Thank you Apollo 8. You saved 1968.”

1968 was a bad year. There was the assassination of Martin Luther King. And Robert Kennedy. There was the Vietnam War overseas and riots at home.

But, when Apollo 8 became the first spacecraft to successfully orbit the moon, millions of Americans and people from around the world watched in awe and wonder to bring a happy ending to an otherwise, very sad year.

Well, 2017 is shaping up to be a tough year as well. Political divides are deep. Racial tensions are high. Global relationships are strained. Nuclear war is a real threat. So is environmental devastation. Misogyny is prevalent, and LGBTQ rights are in peril.

But, for 90 minutes, on August 21st, 2017, millions of Americans and our friends from around the globe joined peacefully across the U.S. at events that started in the blue state of Oregon, and ended in the red state of South Carolina. From big cities to small towns.

It didn’t matter the color of your skin, or your country of origin.

It didn’t matter if you were young or old, rich or poor.

It didn’t matter what your political views are or your sexual orientation.

And during this time, instead of everyone looking down at their phones, they were looking up to the sky.

We were simply just humanity brought together by a truly ‘cosmic connection.’

Thank you Mother Nature. You saved 2017.

How about you? Were you able to participate in the eclipse? Did you see totality?

At a recent physics lecture, this is what the presenter said: “Unfortunately, the eclipse is during a work day.”

Again…. Whaaaaaaatttt? This isn’t meant to poke fun at her, but rather at the modern work world. Are we really going to forgo one of life’s most beautiful natural phenomena for a ‘work day’? We evolved over hundreds of thousands of years paying attention to nature, but the 9-5 office job has only been a ‘phenomenon’ in the last century.

It is easy to achieve ‘financial prosperity’, but “primal prosperity” is much harder in the modern world where we are trying to satisfy ‘societal shoulds’ instead of our ‘inner musts’.

People chase eclipses all over the world, and the great American eclipse on August 21st is going to be accessible by a day’s drive to millions of people. This is anticipated to be the greatest American migration… ever. Are you going to be a part of it?

Answer this quiz and leave a comment on how you will or will not participate:

No, this isn’t a post about drunk co-eds lifting their shirts. No judgement though, if that’s your thing…

This is about women who have bucked the status quo and chose to break free from ‘cultural captivity’… from the human zoo. They threw ‘societal shoulds’ aside to live their ‘inner musts’. They found their version of freedom. And while, these may not be paths that most people want to take, they can certainly still inspire everyone to takes risks to find their own version of freedom, whatever that may be.

”Jobs fill your pockets, but adventures fill your soul.”

Grandma Gatewood– She was the first solo woman to thru hike the Appalachian Trail in one season, and she did it at the ripe young age of 67. She didn’t even have camping gear or hiking boots. In the book, she mentions that her adult children, like most Americans, got themselves stuck in the ‘Great American Immobile Dream’, and that she was finally free. Not just free from consumerism, or taking care of small children… but also free from a long time abusive relationship. She ended up hiking the entire length of the AT 3 times!

Peace Pilgrim– She sold all her possessions and gave away all of her money and just walked around the U.S. with what she could fit in her pockets. She only ate food and slept in homes when strangers offered this to her for free. She walked over 25,000 miles fighting for peace. She was also the first woman to thru hike the Appalachian Trail in one season, although she wasn’t solo: see GG above.

Laura Dekker – The documentary “MaidenTrip”, is about 14-year old Laura Dekker who wanted to be the youngest person to sail around the world… alone. The Dutch government tried to stop her, but she won the case and set sail. She does all her own filming on the voyage. She mentions in the film how the idea of working and accumulating things and be location dependent sounds so boring…. wow, to figure that out so young is incredible!

Miriam Lancewood– She and her husband live in the wilderness in New Zealand, with no car, no cell phones, no computer, no mirrors… they live by weather patterns, rather than by the clock. And while they do occasionally get some food supplies from conventional agricultural farming products, over the years, this former vegetarian has learned how to mostly hunt and forage for her food. Many times, they will live in areas that are a 4 day walk to a paved road. Oh, and she looks like a Victoria Secret model.

Rita Goldman Gelman– This female nomad found herself divorcing near the age of 50 and had never really travelled much, so she decided to set out for truly an adventure of a lifetime. However, she didn’t just tick off a bucket list of countries with a backpack while staying in hostels… instead, she walked down dusty roads in remote villages in far off exotic places trying to stay with locals who weren’t expecting her, trying to experience their culture, without insulting them with touristy habits. She even got accepted for a volunteer research position at the Charles Darwin Institute in Galapagos. Still nomadic at 70+ years of age, she owns very few possessions, and doesn’t have a “home” of her own, although she has connections all over the world and always has a place to stay.

What about you? Do you have any good stories on people (guys or girls) who have gone so outside of the status quo? Would you live like any of these people? If not, what is your idea of freedom and living on your terms?

You most likely know your net worth, at least generally. You may have your assets and liabilities clearly defined. You may even have a hefty emergency fund, or at least a solid back up plan, to be prepared for the unexpected.

But, do you keep a balance sheet for your soul and know your self worth?

“Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.” – Mary McLeod Bethune

It is a drama about a family who runs a funeral home after the father, Nathaniel Fisher, dies. Nathaniel, however, still ‘comes back’ regularly in the episodes, as a spirit, to talk to the family. Here is a great excerpt from Season 4, Episode 12, where Nathanial is talking to his son David:

Nathaniel Fisher: You hang on to your pain like it means something. Like it’s worth something. Well, let me tell you – it’s not worth shit. Let it go! Infinite possibilities, and all he can do is whine.David Fisher: Well, what am I supposed to do?Nathaniel Fisher: What do you think? You can do anything, you lucky bastard – you’re alive! What’s a little pain compared to that?David Fisher: It can’t be that simple.Nathaniel Fisher: What if it is?